أَطاع ما يَأْمُرُهُ النَّاهِي
وصارَ في حِلْيَةِ أَوَّاهِ
He obeyed what the prohibitor ordered him,
And became clothed in the garb of the wavering one.
لها وكَمْ قِيلَ لها مَرَّةً
فَهْيَ بمعنى واحدٍ لاهِ
No matter how many times she was told,
It was with one meaning without any deviation.
مشتغِلٌ دُونَ الصّبا بالصبا
ودُونَ نيرانٍ بأَمْواهِ
Busy with youth instead of youthfulness,
And with pretense instead of his passions.
فَهْوَ إِذا فَكَّرَ في أَمْرِهِ
رَأَيْتَ منه حالَةَ السَّاهِي
So when he pondered over his matter,
You saw in him the state of the oblivious one.
أَشْبَهَ ماءَ البَحْرِ أَحْشَاؤُهُ
ولم تَضِعْ أُلْفَةُ أَشْبَاهِ
His insides resembled the water of the sea,
And familiarity did not diminish similarities.
يَسْرُدُ طَهَ حِينَ يبدُو له
ذُو المَوْجِ يَحْكِي مِرْجَلَ الطَّاهي
He pours out Taha when he comes to light,
The wave narrating the tale of the wanderer.
الجاهُ لِلأَوطانِ لا أُبْعِدَتْ
أَوْبَتُه بالمالِ والجاهِ
Glory is for homelands not lost,
I tied its tent pegs with wealth and glory.
عزمٌ قويٌّ يقتضيه السُّرَى
ولو على مضطربٍ واهِ
A strong determination required by secretiveness,
Even if it is agitated and wavering.
يركبُ في قِشْرِ عِضَاهٍ جَرَى
وإِن جَرَى مَنْطِقُ عَضَّاهِ
He rides in the peel of its unripe dates having flowed,
Even if the logic of the date peel flowed.
ولو علا مقدارُ هِمَّاتِه
حاولَ أَدنى رُتْبَةٍ ما هي
And if the extent of his worries became high,
He tried the lowest rank that it is.
نال مجالَ الرُّخِّ في موضِعٍ
يضيقُ عن مَنْزِلَةِ الشَّاهِ
He attained the space of ease in a place,
That is too narrow for the rank of the king.
يا هِبَةَ اللِه دَنَا سَيْرُهُ
فما تَرَى يا هِبَةَ اللِه
O gift of God, his conduct approached,
So what do you see, O gift of God?
قد أَزِفَ الوقتُ وداعى النَّوَى
أَطْنَبَ في نَاهٍ ونَهْنَاهِ
The time has drawn near and the intention has called
Prolonging in coaxing and alluring.
منظَرُكَ الباهي وشِعْرِي معاً
فَأْمُرْ بشيءٍ ثالثٍ باهِ
Your beautiful sight and my poetry together,
So order something third amazing.
نُطْقِي بأَفواهٍ وكم معشرٍ
قد نَطَقوا منك بأَفواهِ
My speaking with mouths and how many groups
Who have spoken of you with mouths.
وَثمَّ أَفواهٌ لها نكهةٌ
أَطْيَبُ من رِيحَةِ أَفْواهِ
And there are mouths that have a taste,
Sweeter than the scent of mouths.
أَمضى بإِكراهٍ ولكنَّني
ما جئتُ إِذ جئت بإِكراهِ
I came reluctantly but still I came,
Not having come reluctantly.
في دَعَةِ الله وحَظِّ الوَرَى
مقالُهُمْ في دَعَةِ اللِه
In the ease of God and enjoyment of intimacy,
Their speech in the ease of God.
أَفديكَ من هادٍ بأَقْلامِهِ
إِذا جَرَتْ في الطِّرْسِ أَوْداهِ
I ransom you from a guide with his pens,
When they flowed in prose or poetry.
مُجْتَمِعُ الوَصْفَيْنِ ينشَقُّ عن
وجهِ حَيِيِّ الوَجْهِ جَبَّاهِ
Combining the two descriptions, it departs from,
The face of the beautiful faced radiant forehead.
طَلاقَةٌ ليستْ لذي ذِلَّةٍ
وعزَّةٌ ليست لتَيَّاهِ
An eloquence not for one with humiliation,
And dignity not for one wavering.
باهِ بها في حالَتَيْ مَجْدِهِ
إِن كُنْتَ تبغِي سَبَقاً باهِ
With it in both states of his glory,
If you want precedence, then be amazing.
يَثْبُتُ مثلَ الجبلِ المُعْتَلِي
وينثَنِي كالغُصُنِ الزاهي
He remains steady like a towering mountain,
And bends like a flowering branch.
لو سُئِلَتْ مِصْرُ على أَنَّها
منازِلُ العاضِدِ للِه
If Egypt were asked as though it is,
The abodes of the supporter of God.
من عَدِمَتْ سَمَّتْهُ في أَوَّلِ ال
بسْمِ وثَنَّتْ بِشَهِنْشَاهِ
Whoever lacked his symbol at the beginning of,
In the name of God and praised the King of Kings.
جاءَتْكَ غُصْناً في يَدَيْ مَنْطِقٍ
أَعملَ فيها الخاطِرُ الماهِي
A branch came to you in the hand of speech,
Where imagination did its amazing work.
عذراءُ قالَتْ لك أَوْصَافُها
باهِ بِحُسْنِي كُتُبَ الباهِ
An unspoiled maiden said to you her traits,
Amazing in my beauty the amazing was written.
